Back or neck injury in Tempe: how to show the crash caused it

Expect the insurer to say your back was already worn. Disk wear shows up in many people with no pain, from 37% at age 20 to 96% at 80. An MRI or CT can show a herniation, and an x-ray alone cannot. Get seen quickly and keep every record. For a Tempe crash, the lawsuit deadline is generally 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (22)

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Road map of Tempe showing Baseline Road at I-10, a spot with 257 crashes in 2018 to 2022 on a regional top 100 list
Disk wear without pain: 37% at age 20, 96% at age 80. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Why do insurers blame old back wear after a Tempe crash?

Because most spines show some wear. A review found disk degeneration in 37% of people with no symptoms at age 20, and in 96% of those aged 80. So a scan that shows an aged disc proves little on its own. The question is whether the crash made a quiet spine hurt.

Your best answer is a record of how you were before. Any visit, gym log or work note showing you were doing fine the month before the crash helps more than people expect.

Which scan shows a herniated disc?

TestWhat it shows
X-rayBones only. It cannot diagnose a disc problem alone
MRISoft tissue: discs, ligaments and nerve roots
CTCan also show the herniation

Tell the provider the day of the crash and which way you were hit. In Tempe that is often a rear-end hit, the city's most common crash type, so say so.

When should I see a doctor for back pain after a Tempe crash?

Go in right away for numbness, weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder control. Do not wait for the pain to settle.

  • HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center has an emergency department at 1500 South Mill Avenue, phone 480-784-5500. It is not on the state trauma list, so a severe crash may go to a center outside Tempe.
  • Students on ASU's Tempe campus can call ASU Health Services at (480) 965-3349.
  • Federal health center data lists Mountain Park Health Center at 1840 E. Broadway, among three active sites in Tempe.

A clinic gap in your records gets used against you, so keep follow-up visits even when the pain eases.

How long does a back injury last, and when is it chronic?

Many get better. A herniated disc often goes away or improves a lot over weeks to months. Back pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks and happens daily is called chronic.

That 12-week mark matters for a claim. A provider's note that says pain is chronic supports future treatment costs and time off work. Settling a claim before you know how recovery goes can leave you paying for care yourself.

What records help a Tempe back injury claim?

  1. Get the crash report. City street reports are on BuyCrash. Freeway reports come from DPS after at least 14 days.
  2. Ask Tempe Police Records, 120 E. 5th Street, if you need a paper copy.
  3. Collect every imaging report and every provider note. Banner hospitals release records through MRO Patient Central.
  4. Ask your employer for a letter on missed shifts and duty changes.
  5. Keep a short pain diary: what hurts, and what you couldn't do that day.

Tempe is not a quiet place to be on the road. ADOT counted 6,637 crashes in Tempe in 2024, with 2,049 injury crashes and 3,007 people hurt.

What can I claim for a back injury in Arizona?

Arizona juries are told to consider lost earnings and lost earning power, not just the hospital bills. If you do heavy work or sit at a desk all day and cannot do either, that second piece can matter a lot. Fault is shared by percent, and a partly-at-fault person can still recover.

Questions

What if my pain showed up a week after the crash?

Tell your provider the crash date. Whiplash-type pain can begin hours to weeks later, and delays are common.

Does a hospital lien affect my claim?

It can. A provider that treated you may claim a lien on what you recover.

Can a prior back problem still be part of my case?

Yes. The insurer will use it, but a crash that makes an old problem worse can still be a claim. Records from before the crash are the key.

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Sources (22)

  1. National Library of Medicine, AJNR 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “Disk degeneration prevalence ranged from 37% of asymptomatic individuals 20 years of age to 96% of those 80 years of age”
  2. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Spine MRI or spine CT to show where the herniated disk is pressing on the spinal canal.”
  3. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “it is not possible to diagnose a herniated disk by a spine x-ray alone”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  5. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “Any numbness, loss of movement, weakness, or bowel or bladder changes”
  6. HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center, checked 2026-11-08. “The emergency entrance is on the West side of Mill Avenue.”
  7. NIAMS, checked 2026-11-09. “lasts longer than 12 weeks and occurs daily”
  8. ADOT, 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tempe | 6,637 | 29 | 2,049 | 4,559 | 32 | 3,007 | 295 | 5 | 225 |”
  9. Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Lost earnings to date, and any decrease in earning power or capacity in the future.”
  10. NIAMS, checked 2026-11-09. “MRI can help diagnose damage or disease of the soft tissues, such as the discs, ligaments, and nerve roots in and around the spine.”
  11. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Rear End 30.4%”
  12. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
  13. ASU Health Services, Locations and Hours, checked 2026-11-09. “(480) 965-3349”
  14. HRSA, Health Center Service Delivery Sites, checked 2026-11-09. “Mountain Park Health Center - Tempe”
  15. MedlinePlus, checked 2026-11-09. “often goes away or improves a lot over weeks to months”
  16. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident reports approved for public release are available online from November 1, 2021 to the present.”
  17. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  18. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Tempe Police Department – Records 120 E. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281 Lobby Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.”
  19. Banner Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “you can request your medical records from any Banner Health hospital, provider office, or urgent care location.”
  20. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  21. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “The pain of whiplash may not appear right away after an accident, but sometimes may take hours to weeks to develop.”
  22. A.R.S. § 33-931, checked 2026-11-09. “is entitled to a lien for the care and treatment or transportation of an injured person”

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